“Win!” Gus exclaimed, once she had barrelled in, shaken off the rain, and greeted her with a broad grin. “Sorry I’m late, did I make it in time?” she gushed, mostly teasing. (Not teasing about being late; in spite of her best efforts, she had never been the most punctual. Or been a natural at reading clocks.) “Right, I need a drink,” she said, sizing up the one Winnie already had to see whether she could sneak her a second before they started on food, “but you promise you won’t dash out on me before I sit down, won’t you?” She raised her eyebrows in warning.

Though she knew what Moony’s job was like, and it was hardly Winnie’s fault. (But Merlin, where did all these expectant mothers come from? Honestly, who was having all these babies? People, apparently, but that whole business was a far cry from the world Gus knew, so. She would not pretend to understand.)

“Well, thank Merlin for that,” Gus added dramatically as she returned to their corner a minute or two later and found Winnie still planted on her chair. Luckily. Gus liked this place well enough, but she didn’t especially want to sit around all night with only her own company.

---